Tube and bottle closures



Feb. 17, 1959 w. D.YDUNN TUBE AND BOTTLE CLOSURES Filed May 31, 1957 INVENTOR. WALTER D. DUNN 0 BY W43 ATTORNEYS U ed ta Pat nt o TUBE AND BOTTLE CLOSURES Walter D. Dunn, Malden, Mass.

Application May 31,1957, Serial No. 662,819

'4 c1ainis. cl; 222 522) This invention relates toa tube and bottle closure, and more particularly to one in which the closure is captively attached to its receptacle.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a captive cap closure designed to replace the free cap ordinarily provided with interior threads which cooperate with the conventional exterior threads on the neck of a collapsible tube receptacle. a component part of the original receptacle.

Various forms of appliances which have hitherto been devised for corresponding purposes have generally been made onthe basis of the conventional threaded cap with various designs to open and close the orifice by means of slides, hinged covers and the like.

In accordance with my invention there is provided a dispensing closure having a cap to which there is concentrically attached a tapered stopper from which there depends a hollow feeder tube with an orifice in the side of the tube and adjacent to the stopper. Freely sliding over this tube is a concentric tapered plug retained on the tube by an annular ring attached to said tube, said cap, stopper, tube, plug and annulus having a common longitudinal axis.

It is preferably made of hard plastic with sufficient flexibility to permit a tight fit, such as compounds based on high molecular weight polymers of ethylene or tetrafiuoroethylene.

It is easily positioned by insertion into the neck of the receptacle and held in semi-locking engagement with the lower portion of the neck. It can be readily removed and reused. There are no detachable parts to be lost or misplaced.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrative of the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device positioned in the neck of a collapsible tube, with the plug in place and the stopper down but not forced into the neck of said tube.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device positioned in the neck of the tube with the stopper up and the plug in place but not forced into the neck of said tube.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. 1 taken on line 44.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of Fig. 2 taken on line 5-5 but with the plug forced into the neck of the tube.

Referring to the drawings, the closure therein shown as illustrative of one embodiment of my invention comprises a novel closure 20 for use on a collapsible tube receptacle which has a neck 11 and an orifice 12 in said neck. The neck has exterior threads 13 and a top surface 14 and a bottom surface 15.

My closure comprises a cap 21 with a bottom surface 22, to which there is attached a tapered stopper 23 having a bottom surface 24. Fixedly attached to stopper 23 and depending from surface 24 is a hollow cylindrical feeder tube 25 having in its side a dispensing orifice 26.

It may also be supplied as- 2,873,895 Patented Feb. 17, 1959 A hollow frustro-conical retaining plug 27, having a longitudinal bore, slidably encloses the feeder tube 25. This plug has a top surface 28 and a bottom surface 29. The feeder tube 25 terminates at its lower end in an annular transverse tube check 30 with a top surface 31, a lower surface 32. The tube 25 passes through the annulus 30 resulting in an open end 33. The cap 21, the stopper 23, the feeder tube 25, the retaining plug 27 and the tube check 30 all have a common longitudinal axis. The stopper 23 has a slight taper and fits snugly within the neck 11 of the tube 10. The retaining plug 27 has a slight taper and fits tightly within the neck 11 of the tube 10. When the top surface 28 of the plug 27 is positioned adjacent the bottom surface 24 of the stopper 23, the taper on the plug 27 is a straight line extension of the taper on the stopper 23. The diameter of the surface 32 is less than the diameter of the surface 29.

To place the closure in operating position, it is inserted into the neck of the receptacle and forced downwards. Surface 32 readily enters the orifice 12 in the neck of the tube 10. The bottom surface 29 of the plug 27 is forced into the orifice 12. By exerting pressure on the cap 21, the bottom surface 24 of the attached stopper 23 pushes down on the top surface 28 of the plug 27 forcing it into the neck 11. The snug fit of the plug 27 in the neck 11 holds it firmly in place. The stopper 23 renders the orifice 12 air tight.

In operation, the cap 21 is raised which removes the stopper 23 from the top of the orifice 12. The feeder tube 25 being attached to the stopper 23 slides through the plug 27 exposing the tube until the top surface 31 of the tube check 30 contacts the bottom surface 29 of the plug 27. The side orifice 26 of the feeder tube 25 is thus exposed. Pressure on the tube 10 forces the contents through the orifice 33 through the feeder tube 25 and out through the orifice 26.

After use, the cap is pushed down forcing the stopper 23 into the neck 11 of the tube 10. The complete closure 20 may be removed for reuse on another receptacle by a strong upward pull on the cap 21.

While the preferred embodiment of my invention has been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, material, proportions and arrangements of parts and in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same, heretofore described and defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A removable dispensing closure, positioned in the neck of a collapsible tube receptacle, comprising a frustroconical retaining plug with a cylindrical bore fitting tightly into the neck of said receptacle, a hollow cylindrical feeder tube having in its side a dispensing orifice, the longitudinal bore of said plug slidably enclosing said feeder tube, the upper end of said tube terminating in a frustro-conical air tight stopper positioned within and sealing the neck of said receptacle, the lower end of said feeder tube being open and terminating in an annular transverse tube check, the top of said plug being positioned within said neck a distance from the top surface of said neck equal to the depth of said stopper, the taper on the sides of said plug being a straight line extension of the taper on the sides of said stopper, the application of external digital pressure to said collapsible tube receptacle forcing the contents up through said feeder tube when said closure is in open position.

2. A dispensing closure positioned in the neck of a 001- I lapsible tube receptacle, comprising a cap, a depending frustro-conical air tight stopper, a depending hollow eyzseaeea lindrical feeder tube having in its side a dispensing orifice, a frustro-conical retaining plug with a cylindrical bore and an annular transverse tube check; said cap, stopper, feed tube and tube check forming an integral unitary movableportion, said retaining plug forming a stationary portion, said feeder tube terminating at its upper end in said stopper and terminating at its lower end Within said tube'check, said feeder tube component of said movable portion being adapted to slide freely within the bore of said retaining plug between said upper and lower terminations; said cap, stopper, tube, tube check and retaining plug having a common longitudinal axis, the taper on the sides of said plug being a straight line extension of the taper on the sides of said stopper, the top of said plug being positioned within said neck a distance from the'top surface of said neck equal to the depth of said stopper, the application of external digital pressure to said collapsible tube receptactle forcing the contents up through saidfeeder tube and out through said orifice when sa'iddispensing closure is in an open position.

3'. A dispensing closure" as set forth in claim 2" wherein the bottom of said cap and the top of the neck ofsaid receptacle are contiguous and complementay and the bottom of said stopper and the top of said plug are contiguous and complementary when said closure is in a closed position; the bottom of said plug and the top of said tube check being contiguous when said closure is in an open position.

4. A dispensing closure asset forth in claim 2 wherein said stopper fits snugly within the neck of. said receptacle and said plug fits tightly within the neck of said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,139,289 Skoda Dec. 6, 1938 2,424,101 Lari July 15, 1947 2,772,037 Rieke Nov. 27, 1956 2,790,582 Halpern Apr. 30, 1957 

